China Weighs Nvidia Chip Buys for Alibaba, ByteDance
11 sourcesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology asked selected firms about planned order volumes and intended uses for Nvidia's RTX Pro 5500. Officials reportedly told some companies purchases would be approved, but Beijing has not publicly confirmed a decision. Reports name Alibaba and ByteDance among the companies. Reuters said it could not independently verify the report. ByteDance is reportedly considering a provisional order of about one million chips. The Information did not disclose Alibaba's requested volume or confirm either company's order. The RTX Pro 5500 was released in September 2026 and has less fast memory and fewer high-speed connections than Nvidia's leading data-center chips. Some Chinese buyers reportedly plan to install the chips in servers, with one configuration placing eight cards per server. Nvidia plans to begin shipping to China in late December 2026 and targets about 500,000 units per quarter. Sales staff reportedly urged customers to place orders by September 30 to secure supply. Beijing previously barred large Chinese tech firms from buying the RTX Pro 6000D, though smaller firms could still purchase it. Any clearance depends on Chinese approval and U.S. export rules. Approval timing, buyer allocations, and U.S. permission remain unresolved.
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Officials reviewing the purchases first is the right step to balance tech access with security concerns.
ByteDance needing a million chips sounds like a huge volume that might strain global supply even if approved.
Allowing these Nvidia orders for Alibaba and ByteDance should help local AI teams stay productive without major setbacks.
